Take Action! | Sustainability | SIU

Hello Saluki Green Action Team - SGATs!  

As new and returning students have completed their first week of classes, we hope everyone is enjoying settling in to a routine for the semester.  Remember that sustainable actions can be implemented as part of your lifestyle. The Saluki Green Action Team helps you stay informed about ways to contribute and help make a localized impact. 

Did you know: Residents of the USA are the world's top personal water consumers? On average, each American uses 575 gallons of water per day in some way or another. We use water for our daily activities including teeth brushing, washing our hands or face, bathing, doing dishes by hand or running the dishwasher, doing laundry, flushing the toilet, for outdoor work, to drink and to cook. Together, these actions can generate for one person, an average of 575 gallons of water per day. That is enough to fill up an average above ground pool, and is much higher than the average 149 gallons for UK residents and 86 for China’s residents. So what can we do about this? 
Source (Data 360: Average Water Use in the U.S.).

Take Action:  

• Check for leaks: One drip per second can lead to 5 gallons lost per day.  
  
  
• Stop running water: While brushing your teeth; plug the sink to rinse your razor while shaving. 
  
  
• Shower instead of taking baths: You can save 70 gallons!  
  
  
• Shower shorter: Every minute you cut can save up to 5 gallons of water! 
  
  
• Laundry: Match the water level to the load size, using cold or room temperature water can also save energy while helping retain color to your clothes. 
  
  
• Dirty dishes: Although dishwashers use less water than washing dishes by hand, you can still save water by filling the sink with wash water while you scrub instead of running the faucet. 
  

Our 1st SGAT meet-up is only two weeks away, on Tuesday, September 11 at noon (see poster below). Come meet fellow SGAT members! 

Remember to think before you consume, learn where you can save, and inform others on how to contribute to water saving practices! 

If you plan on making a conscious effort to shorten your shower, come by the Sustainability Hub (located on the 1st floor of the Student Center), and pick up your Shower Shorter sticker this week!

Sources: Calculate how much you can save with the USGS Water Science School. 
100 ways to conserve water.
Breakdown of daily water use in the U.S.

Post Credit: Cecilia Albert-Black, Geology, Geography & Environmental Resources,  2018 Fall Sustainability Fellow.

Invite your friends to join the team, too. If they mention that you referred them when they sign up, you'll receive an extra entry in our next prize drawing. 

Keep up the great work,  
Saluki Green Action Team 
greenaction@siu.edu